Message posted by Rob (Member since 03/13/2018) on May 24, 2024 at 9:15:27 PST:
The SR-71 was first retired in 1989. It was brought back temporarily in 1993. My understanding is that there was a desire in the USAF to reallocate funds from the SR-71 Blackbird program to the B-2 Spirit program. But the USAF wasn't lying about other reconnaissance methods, it's just that other reconnaissance methods include not only satellites, but also drones. Another consideration is also the time period. In the 1960s, neither side had spy satellites. By the 1980s, both the Soviets and the US had an extensive fleet of spy satellites. There is a reason why the USAF doesn't request Google to blur out Area 51 or any part of the NTTR in Google Earth, despite the fact that Google has shown it will do this for them. It simply doesn't matter anymore. The secret stuff is all hidden in the hangars.
In Reply to: Re: Revealed: the F-22's impact on the retirement of the SR-71 posted by Vahe Demirjian on May 23, 2024 at 14:18:44 PST:
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